250Kchallenge2018 Photos & Videos on Instagram

It’s great to find inspiration of what’s possible from someone else’s weight-loss story. But understand that you, your body, your journey and your final destination is unique to you.
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Years ago, after I’d lost about 70 lbs, I read an article by Erin Stern. In it, she talked about how lifting weights and building muscle could change the shape of your body. She talked about how a pear-shaped woman could build her back and shoulders to make her waist appear smaller and compliment the size of her lower body.
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That was music to my ears. I was a pear-shape. I had a big ole booty, hips and thighs and was smaller from the waist up. I wanted to change my shape, but before reading Erin’s article, I didn’t know I could. Her article piqued my interest in body building (the act not the sport) and I set out on a quest to reshape my body.
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Because I’d never seriously lifted weights, I had no idea what my body would/could look like if I added muscle and lost more fat. I used Erin’s physique as something to work towards with the understanding that my end result would likely look very different than hers.
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Here I am almost 10 years later. I’ve added muscle, lost fat and reshaped my body. While I still admire Erin’s physique, I no longer have it in mind while I’m working on mine. Instead, I focus on me and I focus on:
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👉🏼the parts of my body I want to improve
👉🏼the parts of my body I now love
👉🏼on how strong I feel
👉🏼on how accomplished I feel when I push through tough reps
👉🏼 who I’ve become from all the weight I’ve lifted and reps I’ve completed
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On your weight loss journey, it’s cool to use someone’s physique to inspire and motivate you to transform. But you know what’s way cooler?
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Getting to a place where you no longer have to look to others to inspire you to change bc you’ve become the person you sought to become when you started on your journey.
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Do you agree 🙌🏼 or disagree 👎🏼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sorry for the angle 😂. I’m working on my squats and how low I can go. Obviously this wasn’t about weight. I like these as well as 1rm because it’s almost like weighted cardio. Haha #myresolutionstartsnow#onwardsandupwards

#best9of2018 happened to show some of my favorite aspects of the year. Each of these pics has some real significance to my life. From left to right ⏺️ Meeting one of my favorite teachers @krisgethin at the #arnoldclassic was incredible. Best part of the Arnold was having a chance to meet friends from the fitfam! ⏺️ Becoming a #bbcom Ambassador! Still stoked about this. What many consider to be a "company" has been much more to me. To now be a part of their team after years of learning from them is an honor and a personal symbolism of all the work done to improve myself over that past several years. ⏺️ The one in the river? Well that was from one of the many mini-adventures my daughter and I had this summer. We didn't have any money for recreation, but we had enough gas in the tank to find several places to explore over the summer! ⏺️ A couple of transformation pictures including the message from when I won one of the weekly challenges during the #250kchallenge2018 which was super dope. ⏺️ Then a couple doing the grind. Both the physical grind in the gym and the mental grind in the classroom. One I enjoy more than the other, but both are important. ⏺️ One aspect is missing, but that is only because she hates pictures, but without her, none of this would be happening 😉 ⏺️ Doubt anyone kept reading this far but if you did, let me know by leaving a random or weird emoji in the comments. ⏺️ #benchpress#squat#deadlift#physicaltherapy#bodybuilding#calesthenics#powerlifting#ohio#health#recipe#bestself#bbcom
@Bodybuildingcom @bbcomambassador#BbcomAllAccess#sexyatWalmart#bbcomambassador#sponsored#allaccess#Christmas

Sorry for the heavy breathing but that WOD was a good one. Let’s push through today. Whether it is one more rep or putting down a vice that controls you. Make a choice that is not easy but doable. #myresolutionstartsnow#onwardsandupwards

I overslept yesterday and had the second day of a migraine. So I’ve decided that late or not I’m going in and I will do something. Sometimes you just have to show up. My Camp Rhino folks are awesome so I felt at home and went to work. I can’t put my goals on hold because of colds and migraines. Don’t worry, I am taking care of myself. 😉 #myresolutionstartsnow#onwardsandupwards

Today was hard. I didn’t lift like I wanted to. I took video of my movements and my pull ups, squats, and push ups are nowhere near where I want them to be. I finished eighteen of twenty rounds on the WOD. You know, I’m not mad. I’m excited. I’m excited to see what I will be able to do in a years time. Being far from a goal means having more to celebrate when it’s done. So it’s okay that today was hard. Tomorrow probably will be, too. #onwardsandupwards#myresolutionstartsnow

I’m inviting people into my journey. I have struggled with weight loss my whole life and now I feel that the mental hurdle is almost defeated. The point in this giveaway is to hopefully pull people in that struggle the way I do. We would like to think it’s easy but it’s not. Finding solace in food is a real thing and I’m breaking my habit today. In doing so I want to bring others together and start a community of people who want to start changing their lives today. Let’s not wait for January 1st. New Year’s resolutions are great but they do not always work. So I encourage you to follow me and join in as I embark on this journey. This challenge is brought to you by @steveephotographer.

One last #FlashBackFriday
ON THE RIGHT:
Last year at the end of the #250kchallenge2018 from @bodybuildingcom @optimumnutrition
ON THE LEFT:
This morning. ⬇️
Hoping to pick up where i left off in the next challenge. (Yes, im doing it again!) At the same weight. Have been on and off going to the gym due to lots of travel and surgery and have been up weight... the highest 19 pounds! But ddnt stay there long. Im so excited to see what i can do in this upcoming 12 week challenge. It's not about the money... its about the push, the environment, the community of contestants encouraging and holding eachother accountable. It makes you wanna go further. So excited!
Anyone wanna join me?

It's that time of the week again guys!!!! #transformationtuesday !! Picture on the left is January 2018. Picture on the right is November 2018. The physical changes are obvious of course. But what you cant see is my mental and emotional transformation. I am in such a better place now than I was 10 months ago. People ask me what I did to achieve the results I have. To be honest, it sounds easy when I say it. I eat clean (for the most part) and exercise regularly. Its not that easy though. The fat girl on the left CONSTANTLY tries to come out. It's a battle every single day BUT it's a battle that I'm winning!! And I'm going to continue to win and continue to work towards my #bestself. I owe everything to @bodybuilding.com for kicking off the #250kchallenge2018 that started this amazing, crazy ride that I've been on the passed 10 months. With their guidance, push and amazing #signatureseries supplement line I've achieved more than I ever thought was possible!! Here's to ringing in the new year yall!! I have some HUGE goals for 2019 and the time is NOW!! @bodybuilding.com @transformforlife @bbcomambassador#momstrenth#momswholift#goals#goaldigger#accessyourpotential#werk#liftheavy#eatcleantraindirty

#tbt
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Throwback to April of this year when I took on the #bodybuilding#250kchallenge2018 This is probably the best physique I’ve ever had but it took a marathon of workouts sometimes 3 a day, meal prepping, precise macro counting, perseverance and properly resting to let my body get those gains. It took a lot of commitment in those three months not to mention the peak week leading to the end when I took these pics. With these results I feel like I learned enough to compete in a physique competition, which I want to do but seem to not find the time to do because it took so much just to do this one. I will hopefully do one shortly after the new year.
#bodyresults#bodytransformation#physique#perserverance#commitment#dedication